If you have a pretty porch and if you want to cover it with a roof, this article is just for you to enjoy the rain and have a nice time under the porch roof. You can have a great place to make you spare time enjoyable.
Building a porch roof is a very complicated process, but you can get very good results with the help of some small tips and guidance.
The factors to pay attention before building a porch roof:
- The unit height of your roof will give you the idea of what material should be used to build the porch roof, so it remains stable when the weather conditions change.
- Fans and lights are generally mounted on the porch roof, and therefore, you need to predetermine the electrical demand for your porch roof.
- To build a roof, you should be certain that you follow all the requirements and the rules for your area and get all the permissions from the authorities.
A fully-equipped technical work may be necessary for building a porch roof. In this article, we explain how to build a porch roof with simple steps.
Many people are generally asking how to build the front porch roof. It has the same process like building the roof. However, there are some extra factors to pay attention. Front porches should be deeper and wider.
A lower porch can not allow enough place to move around the furniture. Front porches should be raised slightly in order to keep the rain water out. Besides, there should be balustrades at the front porches in order to prevent the falls.
The colour, the height and the texture of the roof enhance the prettiness of the roof. Open porches are not very safe constructions. The roof provides extra space for the site, keeps it cooler and makes it seem bigger.
How to build a roof on a porch:
Step 1: Decide on the rise and run of your porch roof. The rise and run of the roof is generally the copy of the main roof. However, if the window vicinity is not suitable, just try to mark the closest location.
Determine the location of the wall where to mount the rafters.
Step 2: While making the measurements, the location of the window on top of the place for the porch must be determined as the top point. In addition, minimum distance of 3 inches must be left from this point to the the point where rafters to be set.
You should mark the top line and the buttom line that are equal to the wideness of the rafter which is generally about 6 inches.
Step 3: After the measurements are carried out and the lines are marked, it is time to install the rafter plate. Just stick them on their place on the wall with some screws. If they are not fixed with the screws, you can select another fixing method.
Step 4: Take the measurements of the length and wideness of the porch.
Determine the columns to be set on the floor by taking into account the location of the stairs. The columns are usually in the range of 5 to 10 feet. Write down all measurements, so it will be easier to do digging process.
Step 5: Ground work starts with digging holes until the depth of soil and placing wooden poles into these holes.
The height of these poles must be equal to the height of the roof. Concrete the poles in order to keep the posts upright and stable.
Step 6: Place a column to the joint at one side of the floor and screw it properly to keep it stable.
All columns should be plastered well. Wooden pieces should be long to set an asperity. It should be paid attention to the flattening of the surface.
Step 7: After placing the anchor, the capitals should be set. The standard size of a capital is made of the woods that are 2×6 or 2×8. A piece of plywood about half an inch is fixed between the sheets to fit into in the rafter.
Step 8: At this stage, the measurements determined at the 2nd step will be used. Generally special cuttings known as ‘talls’ and ‘bird mouths’ in the technical language are made for rafters.
This step requires practice and ability as it will put into final form of the roof.
Step 9: In order to support the roofs you can install jack studs or plywood to the corner of the roofs. After the support process, you can install roofing paper or use asphalt shingles.
Step 10: Install cables now since you should plan electrical locations that you need on your porch. You can wrap the wooden parts here by using aluminizing or another type of plating that is compatible with your house.
HOW TO BUILD A COVERED PORCH ROOF
If you build an open porch, you may have enough place to feel in touch with nature.
After deciding on the design of your roof, it is quite easy to build your roof.
The weak areas of your home make it difficult for the roof to stand properly. It is recommended to repair the decaying areas of your home in order to establish a solid base for the structure of a closed porch.
You can use concrete in order to increase the porch standards. Connect all the standing poles to make the structure look like a box.
Install the rafters only after the box-type structure is ready. Use plywood to cover the top of the roof and use shingles to enframe properly.
HOW TO BUILD A PORCH ROOF OVER A DECK
It can be dangerous to set a roof over an available deck for the purpose of supporting the porch. This is because decks require extra load to support the roof.
Therefore, a roof should not be built on an available deck. While building a new deck,there should be enough place for additional foundations for a solid roof.
The poles should be directly piled up on the support part and they should not be placed in rafter spacing to support the weight of the deck roof.
The roof should be separately designed and mounted from the deck. Thereby, it is easier to do this without changing the roof when it needs to be renovated.
HOW TO BUILD A LEAN TO ROOF ON A PORCH
The lean of the roof is slightly angular. It is mainly for avoiding from rain and snow. While installing such type of roof porch, you can just cut the edge of the rafter at the required angle. It must be nailed to a horizontal wood to fix it properly.
Since there is no metal hanger which is ready-angled, you need to design the shape of curved roof. There are many hangers that can help you install this type of roof.
A gable roof or stone like porch skirting can be combined with porch columns balustrades, stairs and ceilings etc.
A hip roof is a complicated work but it gives the structure an aesthetic look.
